Northlake police are investigating a video of two minors that Northlake Elementary students reportedly shared on social media in April.
On April 19, police were contacted by a woman who told them someone had sent her a video of her daughter “performing a sexual act with another minor” via a Facebook message, Northlake Police Deputy Chief Jay Militello said.
After an investigation, officers say the graphic video was reportedly sent by another minor, a 13-year-old girl from Melrose Park. Militello said the girl who sent the video message to the mother was charged as a juvenile with “minors involved in electronic dissemination of indecent visual depictions in need of supervision.”
Terri Bresnahan, the superintendent for Berkeley School District 87, said district officials are “leaving it in the hands of the Northlake police at this time.”
“This is a very sensitive matter and right now, since it is an ongoing investigation, we’ve been cooperating with the Northlake Police Department and have been advised to not publicly share any information regarding the matter,” Bresnahan said.
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Militello said police will seek to speak to a few other minors who might have circulated the graphic video, as well as the boy depicted in the video. Illinois amended its criminal code in 2011 to address sexting, or producing, sending or receiving sexually explicit imagery, via cellphones or the Internet to allow authorities to intervene without filing criminal charges against minors.
“Internet safety is a priority in District 87,” Bresnahan said. “In addition to meeting the state requirements for providing an Internet safety curriculum for all students in grades K-8 on an annual basis, we also provide several opportunities for ongoing dialogue on this topic with parents and students.”
Bresnahan said Northlake Middle School hosted the Cook County Sheriff’s Department this year for a presentation on Internet safety during its fall open house for parents and students. This was followed by presentations by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department for each grade level of students during school in January.
Additionally, she said District 87 teaches the Child Lures Prevention program, which contains lessons on Internet safety and proper use of social media. A final parent meeting is planned for the evening of May 11 to provide further education on Internet safety for children.
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.